Molding apparatus



May 15,1928. 1,669,807

E. F. BUFFAT MOLDING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 9. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 9* $477 al w l May 15,1928. 1,669,807

El F. BUFFAT MOLDING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 9. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 15, 1928.

PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD F. BUFFAT, OF KNQXVILLE, TENNESSEE.

- MOLDING APPARATUS.

Application filed November 9, 192a. Serial No. 147,290.

This invention relatesespecially 'to apparatus for molding flower pots andsimilar articles of plastic or mold-able material, such as concrete.

"he object oi the invention is to produce such a machine in a form adapted to rapid and accurate, operation.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a flower pot, the lower part being in upright section;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line, 2 2, of Fig. 1, a part of the bottom plate being broken away;

Fig. 3 is an upright section along the axial line of the machine, the core being in position to receive the plastic material;

Fig. 4 is a. horizontal section on the line, et-t, of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line, 5-5, of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is perspective of a ring seated on the upper part of the mold;

Fig. 7 is a perspective of a ring,a part being broken away;

Fig. 8 isa horizontalsection on the line, 8 8, of Fig. 3;

Fig. 9 is. a horizontal section on the line, 9-9, of Fig. 3;

Fig. 10 is a horizontal section on the line, 1010, of Fig. 3;

Fig. 11 is an upright sectional view showing the body of the apparatus inverted for the removal of the completed body of the pot. r

Referring to the drawings, A is the pot. Thisisin the. form of a hollow truncated cone having at its upper edge a thick rim, A Thelower end of the pot is open and has an inward-directed flange, A That flange supports a bottom plate, A', which serves to close the baseof the pot.

The body, B, of themachine is a one-. iece hollow casting having its interior conorming to the exterior of the body of the pot, A. At its lower end the body of the machine has four feet, B upon which the machine is supported. In the lower part of the body, B,. is an upright cylindrical opening, B on the axial line of the body.

Around said opening the interior of said base. At opposite sides of the slot are ears,

v ear.

{B arranged in two pairs. Both ears of each pair are .apertured onthe same horizontal line. One of said ears 1s screwthreaded. A thumb screw, 13, extends through the two ears and is threaded into the threaded ear and has a. shoulder, B, bearing against the outer-face of the other By tightening the thumb screws, the body, B, may be sprung sufficiently to brin the edges or faces along the slot against eac other. That is the working position. The screws are to be retracted to allow expansion of the body for the removal of the finished pot, as will be described further on.

A supporting block, C, is placed below the opening, B and is adapted to rest on the support on which the feet, B rest-L On the axial line of the body, B, is a core preferably formed of metal and hollow and comprising an inverted truncated conical part, D, and an upper cylindrical part, D

of the diameter of the larger end of the part,

D, and a lower cylindrical neck,D, of a diameter less than the base of the conical part, D, and loosely fitting in the opening, B and long enough to rest on the block, C, when the part, D, of the core is at such height as will make room between side of the conical part of the core and the inner face of the body, B, and between the base of the core and the annular face, B to permit pouring or otherwise inserting the plastic material between said face and the core.

A ring, E, has its lower part surrounding the upper outer face of the body, B, and has a shoulder, E resting on and covering the upper edge of said body. :A hopper, F,

rests on the ring, E, and has at its base a flange, F over-lapping the outer face of the ring, E

A core ring, G, isladapted to loosely fit around the cylindrical part, D of the core and loosely fit within the ring, E. The

height ofthis .corering is approximately the same as the height of the ring, E, above the upper edge of the body, B, and approxi mately. the same as the height of the cylindrical part,D of the core, in order that a press head or platen extending across the core and the core ring, G, and the ring, E, may have its downward movement arrested when the plastic material has been inserted and the core and the core ring have been pressed downwarduntil the press head or platen engages the upper edge of the ring, E, as will be described further on. The lower edge of the core ring has a channel, G which is to mold the upper edge of the pot.

The operation is as follows:

The body of the machine being in the upright position and the feet, B resting on a support as shown in Fig. at, and the thumb screws, B, having been tightened and the block, G, being similarly supported below the opening, B the core is placed into the position shown in Fig. 3, the neck, D resting on the block, C, whereby space greater than the thickness of the wall of the pot to be made remains between the inclined face of the core and the inner face of the body, B. The ring, E, is placed in position on the upper edge of the body, B, the shoulder, E extending over the upper edge of said body. Then the hopper, F, is placed in position on the ring, E, the flange, F overlapping the outer face of the ring, E, as above escribed.

Next a quantity of the plastic material sullicient to make the body of a pot is poured into the hopper and allowed to move or compelled to move downward into the space between the core and the inner face 01 the body, B, and between the core and the inner lace of the ring, E. Then the ring, G, is placed around the upper edge of the part, D, of the core and allowed to rest on the plastic material. Then the hopper, F, is removed from the body and the body, B, removed from the block, C, and placed into any suitable press having a head or platen extending across the core, D, and the core ring, G, and the ring, E.

The neck, I), being new no longer supported by the block, C, the core is free to move downward, said neck sliding in the opening, B. The press head or platen moves downward and forces the core and the core ring downward until the head or platen is engaged and arrested by the ring, E. The several parts are so proportioned as to then leave the space between the inclined face of the core and the corresponding interior face of the body, B, equal to the desired thickness of the corresponding part of the pot, while the lower end of the conical part of the core is at the proper height above the horizontal inner face of the body, B, to form the flange, A, of the pot. It will be seen that the opening in the base of the pot will be equal to the diameter of the neck, 1)". It will also be seen that the upper edge of the pet will be positioned and molded by the channeled lower edge of the core ring, G.

The next step is to remove the machine from the press and again set it over the block, C, whereby the neck, D is engaged and downward movement of the core arrested while the body, B, and the pot continue downward movement until the feet, B rest on the support which holds the block, G. Then remove the core and the core ring.

Then the thumb screws, B, are to be released to allow the body B, to expand for the release of the pot. Then the pot may be removed in any desired manner, as by inverting the body, B, and the pot and allowing the latter to rest on any suitable support, as, for example, a pallet, P, the pot being left so supported for setting or curing.

The bottom plates, A", are to be molded in another apparatus which is not a part of this invention.

1 claim my invention,

1. in a molding apparatus, the COlillJlllil' tion or an upright mold body and a core, the mold body having in its lower end an opening around which is an annular approximately horizontal face and the core having a cylindrical neck 01 a diameter less than the dramcter ol the base of the body of the core and slidable in said opening, and means for supporting said neck whereby the core is held in the elevated position for the admission of material to be molded, substantially as described.

:2. in a molding apparatus, the combination of an upright mold body and a core, the mold body having in its lower end an opening around which is an annular approximately horizontal face and the core having a cylindrical neck 01' a diameter less than the diameter of the base ot' the body of the core and slidable in said opening, means lor supporting said neck whereby the core is held in the elevated position for the admission of material to be molded, and a hopper above the mold body, substantially as described.

3. In a molding apparatus, the combination of an upright mold body and a core, the mold body having in its lower end an opening around which is an annular approximately horizontal face and the core having a cylindrical neck of a diameter less than the diameter of the base of the body of the core and slidable in said opening, means for supporting said neck whereby the core is held in the elevated position for the admission of material to be molded, and

a mold ring and a hopper above the mold body, substantially as described.

4-. in a molding apparatus, the combination oi an upright mold body and a core, the mold body having in its lower end an opening around which is an annular approximately hori'zontal face and the core having a cylindrical neck of a diameter less than the diameter of the base of the body of the core and slidable in said opening, means for supporting said ne'ck whereby the core is held in the elevated position for the admission of material to be molded, and a core ring loosely surrounding the core, substantially as described.

5. In a molding apparatus, the combination of an 11 right mold body and a core, the mold body having'in its lower end an opening around which is an annular approximately horizontal face and the core having a Cylindrical neck of a diameter less than the diameter of the base of the body of the core and slidable in said opening, means for supporting said neck whereby the core is held in the elevated position for the admission of material to be molded, a core ring loosely surrounding the core, and a hopper above the mold, substantiallyas described.

6. In a molding apparatus, the combination of an upright mold body and a core, the mold body havin in its lower end an opening around Whiji is an annular approximately horizontal face and the core having a cylindrical neck of a diameter less than the diameter of the base of the body of'the core and slidable in said opening, means'for supporting said neck whereby the core is held in the elevated position for the admission of material to be molded, a core ring loosely surrounding the core, a mold ring supported on the mold body, and a hopper supported on the mold ring, substantially as described.

7. In a molding apparatus, the combination of an upright, slotted mold body having in its lower end an opening around which is an annular approximately horizontal face, means for drawing the edges along the slot together, a core having a oylindrical neck of a diameter less than the diameter of the base of the body of the core 40 and slidable in said opening, and means for supporting said neck whereby the core is held in the elevated position for the admis sion of material to be molded, substantially as described.

8. In a molding apparatus, the combination of an upright mold body and a core, the mold body having feet and having in its lower end an opening around which is an annular approximately horizontal lace and the core having a cylindrical neck of a diameter less than the diameter of the base of the body of the core and slidable in said opening, and means for supporting said neck whereby the core is held in the elevated position for the admission of material to be molded, substantially as described.

9. In a molding apparatus, the combination of an upright mold body and a core, the mold body having in its lower end an 00 opening around which is an annular approximately horizontal face and the core having a cylindrical neck of adiameter less than the diameter of the base of the body of the core and slidable in said opening, 66 and means for support-ing the core and neck in the elevated position for the admission of material to the mold, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 70 name, this 6th day of November, in the year one thousand nine hundred and twentysix.

EDWARD F. BUFFAT. 

